14 years - 1991 325ix, Stroker/5-Speed (N52 swap?)

[nando]

Good to know, I'll make that suggestion. It does say not to use any degreasers in them although I see how it could work better - also I probably won't use it as much as you do with your shop :p

[ForcedFirebird]

I am on my 4th or so ultrasonic cleaner from them. The plastic tends to get brittle with degreasers, and make sure your fingers are dry before touching the buttons, or they will zonk out from the water leaking around the edges of the panel. I put a piece of clear packaging tape over the last panel, seems to be helping.

[nando]

yeah, it's definitely worth purchasing - I think he bought it on sale with the 20% off coupon so it was like $60 or $70. It has some flaws but they are pretty minor - I should post up a review or something.

The funny thing is the last couple years the E30 has sat in the garage during the winter and I've taken it out once in a while. I don't think it's just that it was always like this to begin with - it doesn't seem to run like it used to. I have put like 80k miles on it and some of them have been beating it to holy hell, so I wouldn't be surprised if my compression and leakdown numbers weren't great, plus any number of other things that could be wearing out.

[Kershaw]

I was looking at the ultrasonic washer but I didn't know if it was worth it or not, good to know. Thanks.

I know what you mean about that difference though. After not driving the ix for a few months, and only driving the e36 (intake and chip, ~200hp), getting in the ix was a disappointment. It just felt like a dog. I had the same thought. I need to get that turbo kit installed.

[nando]

This isn't much of an update, but more to say "Hi and I'm still working on it". so while I hoard cash to try and fund oil pan fabrication (and also bust my ass working on my house instead of cars), I've been working on the software.

I'm balls deep in PPC disassembly trying to find the routine for EWS - I now know the RAM address of the bytes that turn off ignition and injection, but PPC disassembly is not easy. on MSS54 it was as simple as looking for the reference to the byte you were interested in, but on PPC, the instructions are fixed to 32 bits - so if the address of a byte or word doesn't fit into a 32 bit instruction, it's often stored in a register first (basically a temporary variable), and then that register with the stored address is used as a reference to load or store the actual byte..

So even though I know the address of the specific byte that will force the engine to run without EWS - I have no idea in the huge amount of code where it's doing the comparison/branch that I need to disable. But, at least I'm getting generally closer to a solution, as I understand far more what I'm actually looking for, even if I don't know what it looks like yet.

Also, ultrasonic parts cleaners are friggin' awesome. my father in law bought one at HF and let me test it out. I just grabbed some random bolts and the grungiest parts I could find and threw them in with a solution of simple green & water for 5 minutes. Everything I put in there came out looking brand new - I've gotta get me one of these things! I was worried about cleaning some of the build on parts of the head, but now I know I can just toss them in there for a few minutes and they'll come out spotless. That means I only need to replace worn parts, and not spend a week scrubbing everything by hand.

Finally, I don't know if it's my 330i tune getting better and better, or if the M20 is getting slower and slower - but when I first got the 330i, there didn't seem to be that much difference between them. the E30 was faster at low speeds, and the 330i was faster at high speeds (naturally, it has more power and longer gears, but is way heavier). Now it seems like the E30 is just way slower in general - high speeds or not. It's still enjoyable to drive but it just feels off, and reinforces that I need to finish this project. Instead of being 210bhp, it feels more like 150bhp. :|

[nando]

I wouldn't recommend a swap. lol. But I'm too far down the rabbit hole.

[Zaun]

Awesome! I'm trying to decide what I am going to do with my ix. Bought it because it was a pretty clean body before realizing my stroker out of my 84 will not drop in without some modification. Now I am trying to decide swap stroker or swap something else entirely and newer lol. Really looking forward to more!

[nando]

I'll have a shop do it. Its not feasible for me to.

[Zaun]

Are you having someone fab your oil pan or is the about 500 more worth of hardware waffleswaffleswaffles you to fab it up?

Sorry if I missed it earlier...going to go back through the thread when I get a chance.

[nando]

Stalled on the hardware side of things so no updates. Need about $500 more to get my oil pan fabbed lol.

Working on software since thats free. Have some ideas to delete EWS but its never that easy..

[Zaun]

Omg... looking forward to more on this!

[nando]

Jute91 posted a bunch of google docs, one was the instructions for rebuilding the diffs. :-)

[Kershaw]

were you planning on rebuilding this? I was thinking of removing the pumpkin so it would be a little lighter.

Yeah. Feel free to take it apart, I guess I'll just hope I can figure out how to put it back together.

I've been casually looking for another 5 speed transmission so I can send it to get rebuilt by them. My trans is remarkably ok for ~405k miles, but it could be better.

[wazzu70]

Is the E90 ix system similar to the E30 in arrangement? I have no idea, but may be related to your good fortune!

What is the local shop for welding? Im always interested in knowing good places to go for things like that.

For 3d printing your manifold there is Fathom in Seattle. They should have SLS machines which will be better than FDM for the parts. If they can use Windform material on their SLS machine that would be even better. Its what race teams use for 3d printed intake manifolds and other bespoke RP parts.

[nando]

sort of yes. the bed plate shifts the oil pan over, instead of having it centered on the crank. the width of the oil pan is similar. This works out for me because when you rotate the ix oil pan section 10 degrees to match the engine, the passenger side where the extension piece bolts to would hit the block if it wasn't like this. coincidence or luck, I don't know.. :)